New Smoot Plaque Greets Mass. Ave. Bridge Crossers

The Mass. Ave. bridge got a little prettier this afternoon after the unveiling of a plaque commemorating the 50th anniversary of the night Lambda Chi Alpha pledges used the body of Oliver Smoot ’62 to measure the bridge. Official ceremonies and hoopla took place October 4, 2008, and now the dedication of the plaque, a gift from the Class of 1962, officially seals the anniversary celebrations. Jeff Lobo ’83, a Lambda Chi Alpha brother while at MIT, served as master of ceremonies for the dozens of onlookers while Chaplain to the Institute Bob Randolph blessed the plaque. Learn more about Smoot’s legacy.

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Ta da!

Oliver Smoot was not able to attend the dedication, although he did attend festivities back in October, but his Class President Mead Wyman ’62 both presented and accepted the plaque. At the ceremony, former Lambda Chi Alpha President Brandon Suarez ’09 talked about the twice-yearly tradition of repainting the Smoot marks and the first time he participated in the two-hour endeavor at two in the morning. As is tradition, the painters return to the fraternity house, gather all the pots and pans they can find, and make as much noise as possible until all the brothers are awake and gathered. The noise continues until someone guesses what colors the hash marks have been repainted.

Made of space-age titanium metal, the plaque was designed by Ilan Moyer ’08 and Melissa Rothstein and machined by Moyer with advice by Ken Stone ’72, director of the MIT Hobby Shop.

Lambda Chi Alpha brothers from the Smoot days (who deny any participation in the bridge stunt) are joined by Peter Miller ’62 (third from left), who helped draw the original hash marks, and Tom O'Connor ’60 (far right), the pledgemaster at the time who devised the idea of marking off the bridge in pledge lengths.